Even as the State Government is much concerned about supplying BPl rice at Re 1-a-kg, it is least bothered about providing subsidy favouring the same BPl families in Keonjhar district, who are buying sugar at Rs 60 per kg.
The Civil Supply Department has cut the quota of sugar for a BPl family to 2kg per month in last four years. Since the district has not received PDS supply of sugar since December 2012, common people have to buy their requirement of sugar at exorbitant cost.
Keonjhar district has 76.96 per cent of its population living below the poverty line. local official admit that the district had received only 3,933 quintals of sugar for October, 2012 and 3,384 quintals of sugar for November, 2012. Even this last quota was delivered to the district late in May last.
Hence, 2, 20, 820 BPl families have not received any sugar from the public distribution system at subsidized rate of Rs 13.50 a kg for months. Apart from sugar, irregularities in supply of kerosene, wheat, rice and other commodities in the district have enhanced the misery of the poor people.